Ever noticed how rare it is for people to stay working in a role longer than five years?It’s never been easier to find work thanks to resources like Seek, Facebook and LinkedIn enabling you to pull up a potential direction change or just the next step in a plotted career trajectory.
Yet there are still those among us who have never felt the need to change lanes or who are simply having too much fun – seemingly, Adam Pollock fits into both those descriptions.
He’s the dealer principal for Healsville Toyota in Victoria, the last of the brand’s impressively thorough dealer network before the beginning of the state’s High Country.
Can you think of a more brilliantly positioned Toyota dealership? The foothills of some of the steepest, hardest, most gruelling off-road terrain in the entire country, with an ARB dealer right across the road.It’s sure genius.
It’s also the region known for growing some of Australia’s best wine, the Yarra Valley.
Adam celebrated 10 years running the modest little dealership in the tourist hotspot known also for the Healsville Sanctuary and the also-award-winning Four Pillars Gin distillery.
It’s been said time and again in the automotive caper that the local dealership is often one of the cornerstones of rural and regional communities, tipping money back into sports clubs, nearby schools, employing young locals and literally keeping them mobile during times of crisis like bushfires or floods.
When Adam took up the mantle of dealer principal in 2007, not only was the Global Financial Crisis not far away (small towns are often hit hardest by economic struggles), but the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires would come terrifyingly close to the town.
Despite the hard knocks, Healsville Toyota continues to keep locals moving, like funeral director Gavin Heritage, a young local tradie Brandon who was just 10 when Adam first met him, and return LandCruiser lovers Michael and Ann who bought their first GXL from the same dealership back in 1997.
The business makes a good point on its well utilised and properly executed Facebook page, with an image of four 79-Series LandCruisers lined up in the waiting bays, captioned: “You’d think we only sold LandCruisers here”.
It’s hard to think of a more appropriate location for a Toyota dealership right before heading up into Marysville and Lake Mountain for the snow season, and beyond that, the bluffs, tracks and ruts into the Great Dividing Range – the places LandCruisers are built to tackle.
Most dealership Facebook pages are filled with the same giant bow atop the bonnet and an awkward smile, but Healsville Toyota’s has plenty of two-way traffic with owners posting photos of their exploits.
“Phil and Jacqui are on the road with their new Landcruiser 200 Sahara which they had converted to a dual cab,” they say.
And closer to home, during what was a record snow fall this winter, Travis and Mandy ventured to Lake Mountain during an epic snow dump and decided to share it with their local Toyota dealer.
The Young family sent in photos filling up their Sahara diesel V8 at $2.08/litre … somewhere out there in the middle of nowhere, while “Brendan and Chelsea” also sent in a ‘79-Series GXL at sunset’ photo, but from exactly where they wanted to be – Fraser Island.
How many people think of sharing their journey through life with a car dealer? Plenty judging by what appears to be a very active Toyota community.
“They went to great lengths to book in our 2015 Prado in for its 50,000km service,” local Fletcher Lehmann says.
“When you are booked out for 2-3 weeks, you know that you are in the right place,” the director of Maroondah Auto Electrics says.
Repeat customers also appear to be something of a staple, as local Bec Chandler adds.
“We are up to our 5th purchase from Healesville Toyota now,” she says.
“The team truly go above and beyond for their customers and always make us feel welcome and respected,” she compliments.
The Pollock family has been selling Toyotas to Healsville and the surrounding area for 30 years, and two years ago invested into major sponsorship of the Healesville Senior Football Ground.
Perhaps it’s easier than first thought to see why Adam hasn’t gone anywhere.
Join the conversation